Cenipa finds black box of Rick's helicopter and starts analyzing accident data

The Cenipa found the black box of Rick's helicopter that crashed in Urubici, in the Serra Catarinense, accident that killed five people. The equipment was located during the investigation conducted by the Center for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents and will be analyzed to identify information that can help clarify the causes of the fall. The black box of an airplane or helicopter is actually orange-fluorescent in color to facilitate location in case of accidents.

The aircraft voice recorder records communications and cockpit sounds during flight. After being found, the equipment was sent to the Laboratory of Reading and Analysis of Flight Recorder Data (Labdata), a unit responsible for the technical procedures of extraction and analysis of information.

According to Cenipa, https://www2.fab.mil.br/cenipa/ the location of the black box of the helicopter occurred after the completion of the so-called Initial Action, a stage in which investigators carry out surveys at the site of the accident, verify the condition of the aircraft and collect data that can contribute to the investigation.

The body said that the next work involves the preparation of the equipment, the collection of data and the analysis of the recorded content. The investigation seeks to identify factors that may have contributed to the accident and to draw up recommendations to avoid new occurrences.

The survey carried out by Cenipa has a technical and preventive character and does not aim to point out criminal responsibilities. At the same time, the Civil Police of Santa Catarina opened an investigation to ascertain the circumstances of the fall.

Helicopter crashed in hard-to-reach area

The Bell 430 helicopter carried singer Rick Sollo, of the duo Rick & Renner, and four other people. The aircraft was travelling between Porto Belo, on the North Coast of Santa Catarina, and São Joaquim, in the Serra Catarinense, when it disappeared during the flight.

In addition to the artist, there were on the aircraft the businessman Bruno Avelar, the videomaker Paulo Soares, the pilot Antonio Roberto Nóbrega de Araújo and the co-pilot Leopoldo Barros Teixeira. They all died in the accident.

The wreckage was found in a closed forest region in Urubici after a search operation involving teams from the Fire Department and Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB). The location required the use of aircraft, drones, search dogs and ground crews due to difficulties in accessing the site.

The FAB reported that it used an SC-105 Amazonas aircraft during the search, which reached approximately 13 hours of flight to the location of the wreckage.

After the victims were removed from the accident area, the bodies were sent for identification and subsequently released to the families by Instituto Médico Legal (IML).

The causes of the fall have not yet been confirmed. With the recovery of Rick’s helicopter’s black box, investigators will have access to new elements that can help rebuild the last moments of the flight and analyze the factors involved in the crash.

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